The world today is facing rapid climate change leading to droughts, floods, and high temperatures threatening the existence of various species and biodiversity across the world. It becomes extremely difficult to manage the cascading impact of this climate change. It affects the lives of humans and other living creatures and the natural growth of plants and crops. Environmental pollution is the main reason behind this situation, which is caused by burning fossil fuels for energy production. As the world is facing climate chaos, it becomes necessary to implement the process of energy production through alternative resources that can replace fossil fuels. Modern technology allows it to utilize various natural resources like sunlight, wind, water, etc., to produce energy. The energy sources we use today are primarily from non-renewable sources like fossil fuels which are quickly depleting. These energy resources are not exhaustible or renewable. Renewable energy is the only solution to reduce the use of fossil fuels that would eventually help to address the harmful effect of pollution and improve climatic conditions.
Reasons For Increasing Pollution And Climate Change:
- Power Generation: Electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, or gas, which produces carbon dioxide and other harmful gas emissions that increase the pollution level of the air.
- Industrial Operations: Manufacturing and other industries release gasses and other pollutants into the atmosphere. The increased pollution level causes depletion of the ozone layer that covers the earth and traps the heat from the sun. This results in an overall temperature rise on earth.
- Deforestation: Cutting down forests to release lands for development reduces the scope of dealing with environmental pollution and increases heat absorption by the earth’s surface.
-
Transportation: Transportation significantly contributes to greenhouse gases because it runs on fossil fuels and produces toxic gas emissions.
Electricity: Extensive use of electricity in running various equipment, gadgets and appliances release a lot of heat into the atmosphere, increasing temperature.
Impact of the Climate Crisis:
The impact of the climate crisis is observed in the form of frequent droughts, massive floods, extreme heat waves, storms, rising sea levels, and melting of glaciers. These situations affect the livelihood of millions of living creatures on earth by destroying their habitat and ecosystem. It affects the natural growth of plants and crops, generates health issues, damages infrastructure, and impacts food security. Climate change leads to global warming, which is the increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. This happens due to the increased amount of harmful gasses in the atmosphere and the depletion of the ozone layer covering the earth that prevents the sun’s harmful effect of ultraviolet rays. Climate change is also affecting India as extreme heat and cold waves have been experienced in different parts of the country. As observed in India, the decline in rainfall, melting glaciers in the Himalayas, and massive floods are signs of an ever-growing climate crisis.
Advantages of Renewable Energy:
The effective way to address climatic emergencies by reducing the pollution level lies in abandoning fossil fuels and accelerating the renewable-based energy transition. The burning of fossil fuels generates harmful greenhouse gasses that are responsible for environmental pollution and global warming. The production of energy from renewable natural resources provides numerous advantages to mankind and the ecosystem.
- It reduces the emission of pollutants and lowers the environmental impact.
- Moreover, renewable energy helps to reduce the demand for fossil fuel power and avoids the rapid exhaustion of limited fossil fuel resources.
- As we move towards using more renewable energy, the benefits will be visible not just to the climate but in overall development.
- Energy prices will come down, positively impacting the production cost for food and consumables, which in turn provide economic security.
- The oil and gas prices are increasing daily, whereas renewable energy has a cost advantage all the time. It becomes essential to accelerate the energy transition process and bring a renewable energy revolution by creating a vision, awareness, and interest in adopting the new means of energy production from renewable resources.
Various Sources of Renewable Energy:
1. Solar Power:
Electricity is produced using solar power, a renewable energy source. Solar power is affordable and can resolve the energy crisis in domestic and industrial sectors without any need to depend on other sources of electricity. Solar energy production does not require burning fossil fuels, so it’s a clean energy source that helps prevent climatic deterioration.
Use: Solar power is used as a source of electricity in many rural areas where conventional electric supply mode is unavailable.
2. Water Energy:
The powerful movements of water can be utilized as a great source of energy by running an electric turbine. This is a source of energy that can be used repeatedly without any need for replenishment. There is no release of harmful materials or pollutants that can address the climatic concerns effectively.
Use: Water-based energy supplies electric power to many industrial sectors.
3. Wind Energy:
The wind’s force is also used to generate energy in various parts of the world. Wind energy doesn’t contribute to pollution like power plants, thus reducing the climatic impact of fossil fuels.
Use: This power can perform specific tasks in agricultural activities like pumping, grinding, etc.
Renewable forms of energy: Wind, Water, and Solar Power
Important Government Data On The Renewable Revolution:
- India joined France in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) initiative, intending to promote solar energy production to reduce its carbon footprint.
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy was formed in 2006 to lay the foundation for renewable energy growth.
- India targets to achieve 450GW renewable energy capacity by 2030.
- India had a renewable energy capacity consisting of solar (48.5 GW), wind (40 GW), and small hydropower (4.8 GW) in 2021.
- There are 40 major solar power plants in India, with Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan having the highest capacity.
Conclusion:
It is essential to make people and organizations realize the benefit of renewable energy to deal with the threatening impact of the climatic emergency. It is necessary to make renewable energy accessible to a larger community by removing hurdles and bottlenecks to facilitate the energy transition smoothly and on a much broader scale. There must be global connections to supply and utilize renewable energy production resources, raw materials, and technology. There is a need for more excellent initiatives and regulations on the part of the government to drive a renewable revolution. A conscious and rapid energy revolution is necessary to secure a sustainable future.